Page 2 Advertisements Column 4

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 765, 13 August 1853, Page 2

TO THE ELECTORS OF THE SOUTHERN DIVISION OF THE PROVINCE OF AUCKLAND. GENTLEMEN,— At the desire of several of your body, and some of representatives for the Provincial Council, I have been put in nomination for a seat in the General Assembly. The motives which have induced me at so late a period to take this step, are—first, from the unanimous opinion of my colleagues, representatives for the Pensioner Settlements, and also some of your own Councillors, that they, as well as other districts, should have some one of their numbers to maintain their cause in the General Assembly. And 2ndly, from the circumstance of no other provincial members coming forward, they honoured me with a distinct call to discharge that duty. And on my own part, although I readily admit the principle of new men of tried principles and experience to decide what power they should concede to the Provincial Council, and to exercise a restraining or superior authority over them ; 1 think from the circumstances of two-thirds .of the Upper House being composed of opposing elements that a sprinkling of those members who you have already confided, should have an opportunity of maintaining the integrity of their acts; the honour of your Provincial Council, and the special local interests which their Council may desire funds to promote. To remove the mistaken idea that these Councils are independent of each other I refer to the 53rd clause of the Constitution Act, and also to the 13th paragraph of Earl Grey’s despatch adopted by Sir John Pakington in his despatch to Governor Grey, 16th July, 1852, accompanying the Constitution Act. Paragraph 13.” “ The powers of the General Legislature it is not intended to limit to any particular subjects. Its enactments alone would thus have the force of law on the subjects reserved to it, and also paramount and superceding force on all those subjects, which both it and the Local Legislatures are meant to have authority. Ry this arrangement no conflict of powers will arise, since that if the General Legislature will always prevail whenever exerted.” This quotation shows that the powers for that .Assembly should, not be entrusted to inexperienced hands. The duties of this Upper House will be to enact all laws for the general government of the colony, to regulate the Tariff of Taxes —to apportion the estimates for the years Expenditure, to grant sums for Educational purposes, as also for any public work to be done in any part of New Zealand, and to pay over the remainder which in their wisdom they have left for the use of Provincial Councils, Thus any work undertaken by the General Assembly, would be paid for from the general fund, in proportion. One-half for Auckland, one-quarter for Wellington, one-tenth for Canterbury, one-half for Nelson, one-thirtieth for Otago, and also one-thirtieth from New Plymouth, and as they are a majority of 26 to 12- they may say to each other ; grant us money for a Lighthouse, and we will grant you a sum to blast a rock, grant us money for a Wharf, and we will grant you a sum for a Pier. We cannot doubt but they will desire the use of our revenue ; and they are equally interested for us to continue to wipe off their Company’s Debt. The proportion for the last year being for Auckland £2500, and for Wellington 355. I need not enter further into this political spoliation, —nor into the fact of their mutual interests Wellington being their general warehousing port, and Plymouth and Nelson, the granary lor Wellington, nor do more than state the fact of our revenue exceeding our disbursements last year by £4OOO, and Wellington being in dfliciency o£TB,BOO. It will be of little use to say our voters will all vote one way, if they are not men of standing and able to make their voice heard, then the 25 votes will cast them, and they will appear as sanctioners of the spoliation ot their Province. I leave you to judge whether this is a post to be entrusted to any bands, and, however, glad I should be to see abler and more experienced men upon the higher functions of legislators, and the careful performance of their duties, at the desire of my friends I place myself in your hands with a determination to use my best exertions for your interest in whatever part of the Colony they may be required. 1 am, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, Wm. Powditcii, Epsom. August 12,1853.